Deputy Human Services Director - Early Education

The City of Phoenix seeks an innovative, creative, and results-oriented professional to fill the position of Deputy Human Services Director. The Human Services Department has an annual budget of approximately $100 million and employs nearly 400 employees. The department is the social service system for the city providing services to residents experiencing adversity or in crisis, including children, families and seniors.

The Human Services Department is seeking a visionary leader passionate about early childhood education and community impact to join the team as the Deputy Human Services Director - Early Education. In this role, you will lead a dynamic division dedicated to empowering children and families across our city.

In this pivotal role, you will oversee the Early Education Division, which administers the Head Start and Early Head Start programs, serving over 2,200 children (birth to five) and their families each year. With an annual budget exceeding $44 million, these programs provide critical support in early education, mental and physical health, nutrition, and family support and well-being services.

As a strategic leader, you will:

• Guide the division's vision, operations, and program delivery to ensure high-quality outcomes.
• Collaborate with school districts, government agencies, and community partners to maximize program reach and effectiveness.
• Engage with advisory committees and city departments to shape new initiatives and strengthen existing services.
• Oversee budget management, reporting, and cross-departmental projects.
• Foster a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and professional growth among staff.

This is more than a leadership role; it's an opportunity to shape the future of early childhood services in our community. If you're driven by purpose, collaboration, and the chance to make a lasting difference, we'd love to hear from you.

• Communicates clearly and professionally with staff, stakeholders, and elected officials.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize tasks and manage competing demands effectively.
• Capacity to evaluate alternatives and make sound decisions under pressure.
• Proven responsiveness to unexpected and rapidly changing conditions.
• Strong problem-solving skills across technical, administrative, and regulatory domains.
• Ability to make timely, informed decisions that align with organizational goals.

Pay Range: $117,000.00 - $160,202.00 annually.

Hiring Range: $117,000.00 - $143,860.08 annually.

Pay Range Explanation:

• Pay range is the entire compensation range for the position classification.
• Hiring range is an estimate of where you can receive an offer. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, training, and internal equity.
• The City contributes 9% of salary into 457/401(a) plans with no matching required. $4,200/annual car allowance and $1,440/annual cell phone allowance.

Internal Only: Please understand that this is pay grade 842. If selected, your salary offer will be based on the applicable promotion or demotion worksheet in accordance with the City Pay Ordinance.

• Promotions occur when the last two digits of the pay grade increase.
• Demotions occur when the last two digits of the pay grade decrease.
• Lateral transfers occur when there is no change to the last two digits of the pay grade.
• When there is a change in the first digit of the pay grade, there may also be a change to your classification or unit.

Your job classification can be found in eCHRIS > Personal Details under your name, located in the top left section of the page.

The pay grade and classification/unit of your current position may be found by looking up your job title on the job description page.

A comprehensive Middle Manager benefits package is offered which includes:

• for more details: Pension Information
• 401(a) and 457 plans with employer contributions
• Choice of generous medical HMO, PPO, or HSA/HDHP plans
• Medical enrollment includes a monthly $150 City contribution to a Post-Employment Health Plan
• Wellness incentive of up to $720 annually
• Dental, vision, and life insurance options
• Employer paid long-term disability
• Free Bus/light rail pass
• Tuition reimbursement program up to $6,500 per year
• Paid time off includes 13.5 paid holidays, 12 vacation days, and 15 sick days and personal leave days
• Paid Parental Leave for eligible employees up to 480 hours (12 weeks) of paid leave for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child during a 12-month period
• Federal Student Loan Forgiveness offered through Savi

For more details, visit: Middle Manager Benefits.

• Five years of experience in public administration or social services in a medium to large organization supporting Early Head Start, Head Start, or closely related program management, including three years in an administrative position with supervisory, budget management, and service implementation responsibility;
• A bachelor's degree in early childhood education/development, human services, social work, public administration, or a related field; master's degree preferred.
• All finalists for positions are subject to a criminal background check applicable to the department or position.
• Must possess or have the ability to obtain and maintain an Arizona Department of Public Safety Level 1 Fingerprint Clearance Card.
• Must be able to pass a medical exam that includes screening for TB as required by federal and state regulations.
• Some positions require the use of personal or City vehicles on City business. Individuals must be physically capable of operating the vehicles safely, possess a valid driver's license and have an acceptable driving record. Use of a personal vehicle for City business will be prohibited if the employee is not authorized to drive a City vehicle or if the employee does not have personal insurance coverage.
For information regarding pre-screening and driving positions,
• .
• The City job description can be found here.

The minimum qualifications listed above, plus:

• Extensive executive experience managing large government human service programs.
• Experience with federal, state, or local early childhood care and education program administration.
• Experience with extensive and complex federal regulation, policy implementation, and grant compliance.
• Experience with complex problem-solving, systemic solutions, and assessing community needs that lead to measurable ongoing improvements.
• Experience engaging and partnering with parent advisory groups, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

Recruitment closes December 16, 2025. All materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. on this date.

This is a position-based recruitment and will not result in any ongoing eligibility list. This recruitment and any selection processes resulting from this recruitment may be used to fill other related vacancies within the organization now or in the near future.

Apply online by completing the required information and attaching, as one document, your cover letter and resume. Please include your experience as it relates to the qualifications stated above.

During the online application process, please be advised that you will need to provide responses to the following open-ended questions (the system allows copying/pasting into the answer fields):

• In approximately 100 words or fewer, describe your experience (including number of years) working in Head Start or in an early childhood education setting.
• In approximately 250 words or less, describe your experience with grant writing, grant compliance, budgeting, and program administration.
• What systems or processes have you implemented to improve program efficiency or accountability?

• Job interviews may be held by video or audio conference.
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• If you require assistance at any stage of the application process due to an accessibility issue, please contact the Human Resources Department by phone at (602) 495-5700 or by text at (800) 367-8939. You may also fill out and submit a Reasonable Accommodation Request Form.

Deputy Human Services Director, JC:07790, ID# 60109, 12/03/2025, USM, JR, Benefits: Middle Manager

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City of Phoenix is an equal opportunity employer. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni who meet the required qualifications are encouraged to apply.